This invention relates in general to load leveling suspensions. In particular, this invention relates to a fluid sprung, load leveling strut having a compensation unit that can adjust for factors affecting vehicle ride height.
Load leveling suspensions are known that compensate for vehicle ride height by providing for the addition of fluid, such as oil or air, to directly extend an inner strut member relative to an outer strut member. The compensating fluid may be added manually or in response to a sensed unlevel condition. Some leveling suspensions rely on conventional coil or leaf springs to support the majority of vehicle weight and utilize a load leveling component for additional load compensation. Certain types of leveling suspensions, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,106 to Keijzer, utilize a pumped hydraulic oil as the compensation fluid to extend the inner and outer members. This design provides a separate pneumatic bladder chamber that compresses or expands in response to the increased sprung load and suspension articulations.
Current load leveling suspensions, however, are not tunable over a wide range of vehicle types or operating conditions. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a load leveling strut that can be tuned for different vehicles or changing load conditions.